WEEKLY OVERVIEW

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• The lectures will cover the two major somatosensory pathways located in the spinal cord, brainstem and thalamus which eventually reach the cerebral cortex.

• One pathway, the posterior column-medial lemniscus system carries tactile information for acurately locating points on the surface of the body (fine tactile-discrimination, well-localized). Proprioceptive and vibratory information travel in the same pathway.

• The other major pathway, the spinothalamic tract, conveys pain and temperature, and poorly-localized touch.

• Trigeminal pain and trigeminal tactile pathways join the above two as they course through the the medulla and pons.